Known for its heavy use of expletives - especially from spin doctor Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) - the latest series will be "rather less raucous", in order to reflect the current coalition government.

"It is marginally less," Tandy is quoted as saying about the swearing in The Sun. "As a bunch of people they are more prim."

Actor Roger Allam (Peter Mannion) said: "There are more of us [coalition government politicians] in the new series and we are less imaginatively sweary.

"Malcolm is one of those characters that has perfectly formed sentences with lots of incredibly descriptive sexual illusions and swear words at his service, whereas my character is a bit less articulate."

Tandy added: "We never set out to be deliberately satirical. We have never named the political parties in the show.

"When real life imitates us, then that is luck. A couple of times we have thought, 'You couldn't make it up'."

Chris Addison - who plays Ollie Reeder in the show - said he enjoyed returning to the series with his fellow castmembers.

"It was incredible fun to be back with those people, mucking about and swearing at each other for money.

"It's a very therapeutic job, really."

Rebecca Front, Joanna Scanlan, James Smith, Olivia Poulet, Will Smith, Ben Willbond and Rebecca Gethings will also return to the BBC series.